Why Did Emma Stone Turn Down 'Ghostbusters'? She Explains Her Choices (And No, She's Not Afraid Of No Ghost)

Emma Stone doesn't want to be tied down. While the rest of Hollywood, it seems, is clamoring to feed the franchise beast, Stone is enjoying the freedom to pick and choose her next project, and she's reached a level of success that allows her to be picky. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Stone explains that she's got some time off for the next month or so, and she's using it to plan her next career move and "put the pieces together." This includes taking a break from the Hollywood franchise machine and roles like her previous one in The Amazing Spidermanopposite her boyfriend Andrew Garfield. “There’s this insane thing that happens where you get to a point where you start not just doing things because you’re lucky to have gotten the job, but you actually start making choices,” Stone tells the WSJ's Josh Eells. "I’m starting to enjoy having experiences that I wouldn’t allow myself to have in real life," she says, like her role as Sally Bowles in Cabaret on Broadway. "I’m interested in things that are really scary and ambitious lately."

One of the "choices" Stone's made so far is her decision to turn down a potential role in the upcoming Ghostbusters reboot with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Cecily Strong, and Kate McKinnon, "despite heavy interest from the studio," Eells writes. Though she seemed to be a great fit for the cast, and admits “the script was really funny,” Stone says she wasn't ready to be locked down and wants to keep her options open. "It just didn’t feel like the right time for me. A franchise is a big commitment — it’s a whole thing. I think maybe I need a minute before I dive back into that water.”

Right now, Stone's focusing on her upcoming musical La La Land co-starring Ryan Gosling, and taking the recommendation from her friend Bill Murray. Stone told the WSJ, “He told me to keep some things I love just for me. The idea is to have some things that you don’t feel like you need to share with the world. To have some things that are only yours.”

Still, Stone would have been a perfect addition to the cast of Ghostbusters. Here's why:

She Has Impeccable Comedic Timing

A born jokester over here.

She's Great At Improve

Whatta gem.

She's A Triple Threat

She acts, she sings, she lip syncs in the shower. All necessary skills for any serious actor.

This Face

This is her excited face.

Her Unbridled Enthusiasm For Life

Never change, Emma.

Her Golden Sarcasm

Classic Stone.

Those One Liners, Though

Crushing it all day, every day.

Who knows? Maybe they'll convince her to show up as a wise-cracking villain in one of sequels, right?